How To Create Non-Player Characters for RPGs (Game Master Tips)

Ойындар

Come hither as Matt Mercer tells you how to be a better GM / DM. Today’s episode he teaches you how to create NPCs-both good and evil.
Catch these tips a week early on Vessel, and on GeekandSundry.com every Friday!
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Пікірлер: 509

  • @cdnarmymedic
    @cdnarmymedic7 жыл бұрын

    "I don't remember what Timmy sounds like. But they'll remember. They always remember." Truer words were never spoken about players.

  • @comickazii6629

    @comickazii6629

    4 жыл бұрын

    *fledgling GM wipes sweat from brow

  • @neptune8645

    @neptune8645

    3 жыл бұрын

    Im a new DM, I just started with my own campaign that I wrote and I literally forgot the voice for a Major NPC but they remember 🥺

  • @timcronin5107

    @timcronin5107

    3 жыл бұрын

    Exactly lol

  • @brychang

    @brychang

    3 жыл бұрын

    I felt this so deep in my soul it hurts!

  • @glowing_purple_girl

    @glowing_purple_girl

    3 жыл бұрын

    Happened to me in my first real campaign, except it was whether a banshee liked them or not. They were very confused as to why she was being so mean

  • @jgr7487
    @jgr74875 жыл бұрын

    uses the wrong voice for Timmy. PCs kill the imposter & start a side quest to recover Timmy.

  • @AN-ou6qu

    @AN-ou6qu

    4 жыл бұрын

    Omg LOL

  • @michaelroditis1952

    @michaelroditis1952

    3 жыл бұрын

    hahahaha the players will built there own story in the end !

  • @timcronin5107

    @timcronin5107

    3 жыл бұрын

    "Why thank you for recovering me."

  • @jgr7487

    @jgr7487

    3 жыл бұрын

    you're welcome,@@timcronin5107!

  • @leonelrodriguez5602

    @leonelrodriguez5602

    3 жыл бұрын

    I'll not lie, this happened once with one of my NPC's and they actually killed the "imposter". Later on, they just discovered that "Timmy" had a flu.

  • @deltablaze77
    @deltablaze777 жыл бұрын

    Players: "Wait it could be a trap..." Me (In my head): Well it wasn't going to be...but good idea. XD

  • @m.m.1301

    @m.m.1301

    5 жыл бұрын

    I legit do the same

  • @jesterssketchbook

    @jesterssketchbook

    5 жыл бұрын

    DM: and how would that trap work, exactly? (subtley takes notes)

  • @madmonk3290

    @madmonk3290

    4 жыл бұрын

    Or in the other direction. Players: "This is a trap" Me in my head: "Not any more"

  • @Julian-pw5mv

    @Julian-pw5mv

    4 жыл бұрын

    @Jacob Jackman i played my first dnd game ever with 2 other people that have never played before and i was the dm, and i have to say, sometimes they are and sometimes they want to kill their only way to find civilisation

  • @Talokir

    @Talokir

    4 жыл бұрын

    The opposite happened to me. My party set up more than 10 traps against a monster they were supposed to run from. They were level 3...and that hydra didn't even get to attack

  • @EdwardHowton
    @EdwardHowton7 жыл бұрын

    I always struggle with names. That's how I ended up with a pirate captain named Bellend (I'd heard a Brit call someone a bell-end earlier that day) and a merchant named Siran Dormadim (Sir and/or madam). Admittedly, I'm very happy with that second one. It's surprising how useful puns can be for names. I often think of a clever pun I can twist into a name and then smack myself that I don't have anything to write it down on.

  • @MrKyuuren

    @MrKyuuren

    7 жыл бұрын

    EdwardHowton Siran Dormadim. you genius, I'm stealing that

  • @doomdoot6731

    @doomdoot6731

    7 жыл бұрын

    I ASSUME that puns can backfire very quickly though, if your group is particularily silly...

  • @DaDunge

    @DaDunge

    3 жыл бұрын

    It's fun to do those things, I have the name Will Canand on my list. Can and will. Also my fellow players are convinced that my current Barbarian Styr (actually named for the real life viking hero Styrbjörn) is actually the letters of his primary stat (STR) with an extra vowel added.

  • @dylankagan9695

    @dylankagan9695

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@DaDunge yup, sounds just like a barbarian. I have decided on my Mad King’s name now!

  • @doctorjay8673

    @doctorjay8673

    Жыл бұрын

    My all-time favorite improvised NPC was a guy who told about these things that would happen or something that hasn't happened in a while. For instance he said the area hadn't seen a white dragon in a while, they met one later on obviously. The NPCs name? Ford Shadowing

  • @Obstreperous_Octopus
    @Obstreperous_Octopus7 жыл бұрын

    "He has... um... laser sword."

  • @bongibot1104

    @bongibot1104

    6 жыл бұрын

    William Bowles in our first campaign I gave one guy a Halo energy sword. He killed the final boss in one hit. Lesson is don't give overpowered shit early on lol.

  • @liammorais1259

    @liammorais1259

    6 жыл бұрын

    Obi wan????? Is that You?

  • @talideon
    @talideon8 жыл бұрын

    TV Tropes is also a decent source for getting character inspiration from. After all, tropes don't exist just because they're easy, but because they represent useful character archetypes.

  • @4195phoenix

    @4195phoenix

    6 жыл бұрын

    Magnificient Bastard ftw!!

  • @Gheringerbob12345

    @Gheringerbob12345

    5 жыл бұрын

    THE NOBLE DEMON

  • @RikkuTakanashi

    @RikkuTakanashi

    5 жыл бұрын

    Exactly! The same goes for stereotypes. People act like stereotypes are soooooooo bad. Well... Um... That thing became a stereotype because it actually was a common thing that happened or a very popular thing at one time people used alot. The same goes got cliches. Don't be afraid to use stereotypes and cliches because they became stereotypes and cliches for a reason.

  • @chukyuniqul

    @chukyuniqul

    4 жыл бұрын

    @@RikkuTakanashi not really, stereotypes can sometimes be from propaganda which preyed on people's ignorance. But those are usually the ones about people who are far away and your average schmuck wouldn't have met them.

  • @smokr23
    @smokr238 жыл бұрын

    My players just recently killed a Dwarven King on accident. He was going to be a reoccurring character but know they have to deal with his former Captain of the Guard brother who isn't ready to be king.

  • @Kematen2013

    @Kematen2013

    8 жыл бұрын

    +Mike Doyle recently a beloved npc got murdered infront of my players ... they failed in saving him and now seek for vengeance! it is so much fun ^^ (and sad XD)

  • @Kematen2013

    @Kematen2013

    8 жыл бұрын

    +Kematen2013 ignore the "i" pls XD

  • @JesperoTV

    @JesperoTV

    8 жыл бұрын

    +Kematen2013 (you can edit comments, hint hint nudge nudge)

  • @Kematen2013

    @Kematen2013

    8 жыл бұрын

    hahaha ... got it ;D

  • @skyrimsniper

    @skyrimsniper

    8 жыл бұрын

    +Mike Doyle Like, did your character accidentally kill the Dwarven King or did he kill an NPC that was then revealed to be a Dwarven King?

  • @emilygordbort7300
    @emilygordbort73005 жыл бұрын

    Villain idea: A well-meaning adventurer who went murder hobo after a series of unfortunate events starting with killing some random merchant

  • @mitchellenderson7194

    @mitchellenderson7194

    3 жыл бұрын

    “I just wanted to buy a trident off him, but then he started trying to rob me in the middle of his own store, and when I tried to fight back I learned he was way less blade-proof then I thought he was. One thing led to another, I haven’t slept in weeks, and now that I’ve been awake long enough to think that this is the only way, I’m going to awaken the Tarrasque so I can slip away in the ensuing chaos and make everything seem like part of my master plan instead of an ever-spiraling of events I have long since lost control over.”

  • @OmegaTC666

    @OmegaTC666

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@mitchellenderson7194 And when the plan goes wrong, will he go and scream into the uncaring void for a bit?

  • @ugxsan

    @ugxsan

    2 жыл бұрын

    The disgraced warrior. “I’ve come this far. There’s no way for me now but down. Try as you might to bring me back to the light, I’ve followed this unfortunate path too long to forgive myself. If I’m no good as a hero, I can still make one hell of a threat for someone else.” Maybe he believes even that the only way he can redeem himself is making someone strong enough to stop him so that they may stop some greater evil. Sorry I got really angsty with this. It was just supposed to be a fun character concept.

  • @swordlessfish2203
    @swordlessfish22038 жыл бұрын

    I recently started DMing, and I had my bard player going through a dungeon solo since my other players were unavailable. He managed to get past all of my traps in ingenious ways. He then had to figure out a small puzzle I had set up if he made a check that the runes on one of the things he needed from the dungeon, and he just grabbed the item, triggering the poison trap that would deal 2d10 damage, and he rolled a 20 on the saving throw. He took 0 damage all the way through my dungeon, evading and putting monsters into their own traps.

  • @sutyi06

    @sutyi06

    7 жыл бұрын

    Funny story, I had the same kind of thing, only a lot lamer. I am playing a halfling rogue in one of my D&D 3.5 games, which I have a 20DEX with (I rolled an 18 at the character creation +2 race bonus). I had to infiltrate an orc pirate ship, so I did it my own way, sneaked around, did some research on the defenses yada yada, and I got to the Captain's quarters, which (I guess was the first miniboss of the campaign). Both the captain and his first mate (a brutal fighter) were sleeping in front of me. At this point I could have killed two very unsettling characters of the game and instead of doing that, I woke them up and started bargaining. With orcs. And I rolled each diplomacy check and came out with a decent deal.

  • @Reazerable

    @Reazerable

    7 жыл бұрын

    SwordlessFish I wish I could have your luck. my group had to fight a group of 15 goblins and one was a caster. he blinded our whole group and then we got captured and nearly cooked.

  • @augustinebels

    @augustinebels

    6 жыл бұрын

    What a lad

  • @deffdefying4803

    @deffdefying4803

    5 жыл бұрын

    I aspire to be that bard

  • @sofialaya596

    @sofialaya596

    5 жыл бұрын

    You better gave him a medal

  • @Quintinium
    @Quintinium7 жыл бұрын

    "Timmy... I don't remember what Timmy sounds like" Solution: Timmy is DEAD!

  • @jessicalee333

    @jessicalee333

    5 жыл бұрын

    Honestly, that's a good idea and as a DM I never thought of it before. The players go off adventuring for months, decide to return to a familiar town - sure, why should it be exactly the same? Characters they've met before could have died, there could have been plague, or an attack, an accident, or just old age. Maybe the whole town isn't even there anymore, hit by a massive flood or landslide (though on the road they would hear news about that).

  • @solahaze8948

    @solahaze8948

    5 жыл бұрын

    @@jessicalee333 I think they were more trying to mock how GMs come to easy solutions to their own problems by killing NPCs at their leisure.

  • @Bacon8t0r

    @Bacon8t0r

    5 жыл бұрын

    Looks like we'll need another Timmy!

  • @TheLurkerFox

    @TheLurkerFox

    5 жыл бұрын

    Could also be that he caught a shitty case of the cold and his voice is all wonky now coz his throat hurts like all hell?

  • @timcronin5107

    @timcronin5107

    3 жыл бұрын

    You sure about that?

  • @polkadotalien1
    @polkadotalien15 жыл бұрын

    "Helps keep the psychosis at bay" Matt were kindred spirits in so many ways

  • @salsaccino
    @salsaccino7 жыл бұрын

    Fwends..! *Not fwends..!*

  • @strutr1250

    @strutr1250

    3 жыл бұрын

    999... finally... true inner peace.

  • @totem91
    @totem918 жыл бұрын

    Admit it critters. All those times when we're not in a D&D game, or when we put our campaign in the freezer because some people are at work or they have to move away for some time, or whatever reason... We're all just rolling random characters. C'mon, you know you do it too... ;)

  • @Kematen2013

    @Kematen2013

    8 жыл бұрын

    +Totem PsyClinic ... ya i guess its true :/

  • @30SECONDSREMAINING

    @30SECONDSREMAINING

    8 жыл бұрын

    +Totem PsyClinic Honestly thats were alot of my npc's come from.....

  • @30SECONDSREMAINING

    @30SECONDSREMAINING

    8 жыл бұрын

    +Totem PsyClinic Honestly thats were alot of my npc's come from.....

  • @decdenner

    @decdenner

    8 жыл бұрын

    +Totem PsyClinic Dude, im doing this right now

  • @cryofpaine

    @cryofpaine

    8 жыл бұрын

    Sometimes that's the best part of an RPG. :)

  • @Tamaki742
    @Tamaki7427 жыл бұрын

    "Fwends." "Not fwends."

  • @Lh0000

    @Lh0000

    6 жыл бұрын

    *NOT FWENDS??!!?!*

  • @tenacityxl

    @tenacityxl

    6 жыл бұрын

    Not Fwends.

  • @WillieTheAutomaton
    @WillieTheAutomaton7 жыл бұрын

    Dude, DM training by McCree himself!

  • @scifugitive2
    @scifugitive28 жыл бұрын

    Creating characters for a D&D campaign was my favorite thing when I hosted my own one (I only was the DM once). I had tons of them... only ended up using a few.

  • @scifugitive2

    @scifugitive2

    8 жыл бұрын

    Plus, you are a very good speaker. You are nicely animated... I could listen to you read a book. It's easy to see why you are a DM.

  • @GeekandSundry

    @GeekandSundry

    8 жыл бұрын

    +Kathryn Davidson We'll pass your compliments on to Matt. He speaks for a living - literally. :)

  • @orestesbastos

    @orestesbastos

    5 жыл бұрын

    Welp the solution for that is DMing another campaing and recycling unused characters :D

  • @jamisont7349
    @jamisont73498 жыл бұрын

    If anything happens to Gilmore we are going to be "not fwends" Matt.

  • @josiemcmillan5012

    @josiemcmillan5012

    5 жыл бұрын

    Wow, guess he took you for a real emotional rollercoaster ride, huh?

  • @shardliveactionroleplaying1113
    @shardliveactionroleplaying11138 жыл бұрын

    These videos are fantastic! You hit the nail on the head that it's definitely not an anti-climax when the PCs win by doing something clever. Remember the DM/GM is there to tell a story and entertain, not necessarily crush the PCs. Challenge them, make them think, make them feel--but never work to beat them. Too many GMs fall into the trap of a "them vs. me" mentality.

  • @stormrider7235

    @stormrider7235

    6 жыл бұрын

    Shard Live Action Roleplaying Matt once said that he prefers to think of it as the players vs. the world and environment with the DM as a neutral judge and jury. And that's probably the best description honestly

  • @RikkuTakanashi

    @RikkuTakanashi

    5 жыл бұрын

    Yeah, often times the dm ends up becoming the villain instead of being what they're supposed to be. A deity of story telling that is telling the story that's meant to happen or has already happened if you want to do a past tense idea.

  • @FrumpybutSuperSmart
    @FrumpybutSuperSmart8 жыл бұрын

    I can't wait for more of these they are excellent.

  • @GeekandSundry

    @GeekandSundry

    8 жыл бұрын

    +Caer Ibormeith Thanks! We're makin' 'em as fast as we can, so they're gonna keep coming! :)

  • @H4WKB13

    @H4WKB13

    8 жыл бұрын

    +Toddpunchify I'm in exatly the same situation xD

  • @AaronFruman

    @AaronFruman

    8 жыл бұрын

    Too scurrd to DM... I'll get there though. Trying my hand first at Sword Coast Legends DM though. =) Drag'n'drop FTMFW! =D GL with your games guys!

  • @irosencrantz4931

    @irosencrantz4931

    7 жыл бұрын

    Toddpunchify... dayum! That's ballsy! First time playing going immediately into DMing.

  • @METALGEARMATRIX

    @METALGEARMATRIX

    7 жыл бұрын

    I Rosencrantz It's what I did. .... my First campaign was awful.

  • @vicariousxiv2436
    @vicariousxiv24367 жыл бұрын

    I'm going to remember that and quote it t'ill the end of time! "Not fwends..."

  • @mrozzdude
    @mrozzdude Жыл бұрын

    i made a traveling merchant for my group to save shopping trips, he was undead losing his mind after sharing his body and mind with Krond for 100 years. He ended up being a massive re-write and plot point for Out of the Abyss. He was also an adventure guide, if the players didn't know where to look or go, I could speak through him, he was an undead skeleton that could only talk through telepathy that he mastered through spending too much time with the kenku and imitation. though it was telepathic he would move his skeletal jaw so it looks less weird. he was my old rogue who died in a one shot, so he already had some back story

  • @furniture5223

    @furniture5223

    Жыл бұрын

    Very cool, and a useful tool for aiding the party or keeping them moving in the campaign rather than their desire to stop in towns for supplies every other session. I've created an Ethereal Filcher that pops into the world at random and serves as a traveling merchant as well. Only catch, everything he has changes with each stop, and he never knows where he is or where he will be next. His teleportation leads him sporadically throughout the world without his concent, though he's always happy to make a deal. He's already appeared in a well, and between a building's foundation. My only downfall: I gave him a voice that's gruff and guttural, similar to Watto in Star Wars. I need hot tea with a copious amount of honey each time he appears. Kind of a giveaway for the players to consider what trinkets they are looking for in his shop.

  • @ambeauman
    @ambeauman7 жыл бұрын

    I've been GMing for 5 years now... and these are still so helpful. So much of our gaming has been self-taught and I love getting awesome advice from the Master Himself.

  • @xXIxidor92Xx
    @xXIxidor92Xx8 жыл бұрын

    Thank you for putting these videos out geek and sundry. As a DM myself, I oftentimes have wondered how I could improve my games and how I run them, and each of these videos so far has been a great help. I look forward to seeing more in the future.

  • @Vosoros
    @Vosoros8 жыл бұрын

    New villain name idea; Maxwell Nowfwend! :P

  • @wolfhound7919
    @wolfhound79197 жыл бұрын

    I've been playing/running Dungeons and Dragons since the "red Box" days of basic pre-ad&d. I love the changes over the years to how games have been able to develop with more and more detail and I LOVE this series. Thank you for making it!!

  • @cmckee42
    @cmckee428 жыл бұрын

    Fwends... like Clarota

  • @Chickengun

    @Chickengun

    8 жыл бұрын

    +Christopher McKee Can I call you Clarence for short?

  • @HolyWarriorFury

    @HolyWarriorFury

    7 жыл бұрын

    I had a small campaign that I made where the players have to choose (or totally ignore) between helping a thieves guild or helping a corrupt (they didn't know it was corrupt at start) government.. they without question kills the thieves and left and so this corrupt government is gonna grow tyrannical all because of them (as the thieves, while still thieves and thus "bad" where trying to stop this government)

  • @Chickengun

    @Chickengun

    7 жыл бұрын

    Damned if you do.

  • @leonielson7138

    @leonielson7138

    7 жыл бұрын

    So, they helped the Templars hunt down and destroy the Assassins, and now they have to deal with the political ramifications . . .?

  • @elijahtelkamp688

    @elijahtelkamp688

    7 жыл бұрын

    I mean, that's their choice, and dealing with the consequences of your actions is part of an RPG

  • @gnilleps
    @gnilleps8 жыл бұрын

    Mr. Mercer, you have a wonderful DM style, and this is all incredible advice. I love how you integrate your experience in the arts into the GM role. Please keep making these videos- they're wonderful!

  • @darksean99
    @darksean998 жыл бұрын

    I love the last bit. I always give exactly two pieces of advice to new DMs. 1) Always have a plan, it is important to know the little details of your world, and to always have a idea of what you want to happen, why, and how. 2) Understand that no plan survives contact with players. That super important NPC that you put three months of work into and has all these grandiose plans? Completely ignored by the players. The random street kid that you put in just to feed the next breadcrumb of story? Oh that is their new best friend, In fact they adopted the kid and he is now a part of the party. And the most important bit about these? It is fine. It is the DMs job to be flexible, and to make the game fun. NPCs are mercurial, the players ignore your villain? Well maybe villain number 2 with suspiciously similar stats and motivations will appear later down the line. Players gravitate toward a character you put no thought into what so ever? Well it looks like it is time for Random NPC from three towns away to get a name change.

  • @YerBoyJerLoi
    @YerBoyJerLoi Жыл бұрын

    i'm a newer dm, but i like to have a recurring character, stephen the janitor, across multiple campaigns! but what the players don't know, is that he's an expert in combat, which will only be revealed when needed :)

  • @danielgiglio8349
    @danielgiglio83497 жыл бұрын

    Matt, thank you. Thank you so much for inspiring me to first get into playing D&D and then influencing me to become a DM. My friends from high school are all coming back together because of D&D under my DM'ing which you help me with these videos. I know there may come a time that there's nothing left to make a video about but I rewatch these to double back on a lesson that I use for the next step in my campaign that I've created. It's amazing and I may never be on Geek and Sundry but I enjoy the fact that my friends are pulled into my creation all thanks to your help. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

  • @andysimmons2648
    @andysimmons26488 жыл бұрын

    Thank you for this series, it's really good. One resource I use for NPCs in my games is books on creative writing, the character sections often provide good inspiration .

  • @shinypear326
    @shinypear3268 жыл бұрын

    Keep these coming and I'll keep sharing them to my friend who is learning how to DM

  • @GeekandSundry

    @GeekandSundry

    8 жыл бұрын

    +shinypear326 Thanks! And godspeed to your friend!

  • @Chickengun
    @Chickengun8 жыл бұрын

    I love the work you do Matt Mercer! A true inspiration. I myself have been encouraged to start my own adventure soon. I will stick close to what I have learned from you, and thanks for sharing wisdom. I highly value your opinions as I am a huge fan of your podcast campaigns. Keep up the good work and remember to have fun!

  • @AmbersKnight
    @AmbersKnight8 жыл бұрын

    Excellent video with lots of information for all GMs, rather than concentrating on only one system.

  • @GeekandSundry

    @GeekandSundry

    8 жыл бұрын

    +Ronnie Bradley Thanks! We try to be thorough.

  • @anon0092
    @anon00928 жыл бұрын

    I gotta say,as a first-time DM (and D&D player,in general),these are fantastic to watch,almost a lifesaver XD keep up the amazing work,Matt,love you and your crew's work,both in-game,and out.

  • @MiniMackeroni
    @MiniMackeroni8 жыл бұрын

    I like the graphics on this video and I think it can be fleshed out to be used even more. Maybe make a list of keywords that Matt mentions on the right. Could make it easier to write it down. :)

  • @DavidEarney
    @DavidEarney8 жыл бұрын

    Really enjoyed the video. Wish you guys also did a podcast of all the D&D stuffs. I'm a returning DM, both to the game, and the role. 5e is new to me, and resources like this are reminders of all the little things to look out for in putting together each game night. Sometimes we forget the details, and reminders are good for keeping the game full of depth and dynamic inspirations.

  • @DeathbyNoob15
    @DeathbyNoob158 жыл бұрын

    I'm loving these videos! They're really helping out in my campaigns. Keep 'em comin! :)

  • @ninakelly8498
    @ninakelly84985 жыл бұрын

    Thank you for giving GM tips. I am currently trying to run a couple of campaigns but I am still learning.

  • @wyldbladze
    @wyldbladze5 жыл бұрын

    Wasn't paying attention in the first video, but damn, those wall sconces are friggin awesome.

  • @RonocLrd
    @RonocLrd8 жыл бұрын

    This is great! Thanks Matt! Do you think maybe you could do a video about how to run a first campaign for new time players and DMs? Like the does and do nots?

  • @HighTechWizard
    @HighTechWizard8 жыл бұрын

    Absolutely loving these videos! Please keep them coming, I'm running a game of Cyberpunk 2020, and all of these tips are proving useful.

  • @r.downgrade5836
    @r.downgrade5836 Жыл бұрын

    This was quite helpful. Thank you.

  • @EC-lq1sn
    @EC-lq1sn7 жыл бұрын

    Book of Vile Darkness, thanks for the tip ... I liked the feat "Mark of the Master" ... excellent resource. Can you make a short on how to build atmosphere for a game of Ravenloft, Dark Souls, Castlevania, or other Dark Fantasy that employ taint, curses, and haunted pasts to start characters off

  • @the_bat_geek8599
    @the_bat_geek85992 жыл бұрын

    Great video. I'm currently working on two palidian NPCs for my weekly d&d campaign.

  • @grobanlover292
    @grobanlover2925 жыл бұрын

    "If you have a lot of time on your hands, you can flesh out every NPC... but that can be a little... ominous." Are you speaking from experience, Mr. Mercer?

  • @Alizardlovesyou
    @Alizardlovesyou3 жыл бұрын

    I need a walk-through of Matt’s game notebooks 📝 ❤️ this is empath, level epic, put to awesomeness uses

  • @ireallyreallyhategoogle
    @ireallyreallyhategoogle8 жыл бұрын

    I found lots of very good advices about DMing or storytelling in Ars Magica.

  • @ursacor
    @ursacor8 жыл бұрын

    I'm really enjoying this tips series

  • @91hawkeyelyons
    @91hawkeyelyons2 жыл бұрын

    Thanks so much for this. The final encounter in my first game went wildly off track because I had my BBEG run away (a surprise to myself and my players) as a result of character traits I'd previously given him. Was worried I'd erred, but glad to hear as a new DM, and from the man himself no less, that it's the proper way to run an NPC!

  • @valgeiringolfsson3117
    @valgeiringolfsson31178 жыл бұрын

    Really helpful. Keep 'em coming!

  • @holyhellbird
    @holyhellbird4 жыл бұрын

    I love you total outlook on the game in general. I'm creating major npc, but I'm not looking at the little things. Thanks. 😁

  • @DMHavok
    @DMHavok8 жыл бұрын

    Even as an experienced DM, I gotta say that these tips help me keep my focus. Sometimes, it gets a little... difficult to remain in the moment. Thank you for these!

  • @MageThief
    @MageThief8 жыл бұрын

    Love it, this is a new high of a new week.

  • @ricardobarros1446
    @ricardobarros14468 жыл бұрын

    Great tips for DM beginners as I am! Keep them coming!

  • @K1ttyCass
    @K1ttyCass8 жыл бұрын

    Secretly making the players work for the villain is also fun. My group was once tasked with retrieving strange silver lockboxes with various gems on the top for a gnome conducting research... until a druid informed they were being played and bad things were going to happen if they didn't race back to the gnome's ship.

  • @GamerNxUSN

    @GamerNxUSN

    7 жыл бұрын

    koveras aka sarevok.

  • @DadsChannel1982
    @DadsChannel19827 жыл бұрын

    Champions of Ruin is also a good source book for building Villains. It has a section on "Philosophies of Evil," along with a number of other ideas to pull from (or, if you're running an evil campaign, it'll help too).

  • @scotto132
    @scotto1328 жыл бұрын

    Love these. Keep em coming!

  • @dslayer418
    @dslayer4184 жыл бұрын

    “Keeps the psychosis at bay” 🤣

  • @YBTrolling
    @YBTrolling8 жыл бұрын

    I love the humor in these videos!

  • @svensnoek3251
    @svensnoek32513 жыл бұрын

    Love the moral dillema of a grey character. Running Storm Kings Thunder right now and I made Xolkin Alassander a reaccuring character. Ambitieus and a bit of a smooth talker, not giving the players the feeling that they can trust him or the Zhentarim. But made him a interresting ally for a source of info about the giants, through the use of spies of the Zhentarim. For my good alligned players it is a constant dillema to trust him or ignore him. Love it.

  • @calenelenotso-mau7848
    @calenelenotso-mau78488 жыл бұрын

    Excellent tips. Keep them coming.

  • @nightshadeisis2263
    @nightshadeisis22635 жыл бұрын

    Very good point on having a sheet ready. Running a Supernatural Campaign now and Bobby just came in as an NPC. Good thing I had his sheet ready the demon pulled Bobby's gun from his hand and turned it on the crew. Trying to fly off on a Dodge plus trying to figure out Bobby's ability for setting traps would have been painful otherwise.

  • @aretapf
    @aretapf6 жыл бұрын

    Good video. If all GM knew how to accept badassness from the characters... Some just got pissed off, cheat and find a way to kill them, or to save the villain....Loving your tips.

  • @passageways
    @passageways8 жыл бұрын

    Other than the standard "what is this character good at?" and a couple interactive quirks like appearance/voice, there are two big questions with two parts that can be very different or go hand in hand. And these questions apply to even the most seemingly insignificant NPC because the answers to these questions determine how they'll interact with the players and, if necessary, what the NPC will do "off-screen." 1. What does this character want most and what are they willing to give up to get it? 2. What does this character need and how do they plan on getting it (or how do they usually get it)?

  • @shaurmiath6719
    @shaurmiath67194 жыл бұрын

    Love the shout-out to the BoVD!

  • @ChurroAntelope
    @ChurroAntelope11 ай бұрын

    Building a homebrew campaign, and hoo boy is this helpful. Mainly used this guide for making the first NPC, Fetch, who will act as a recruiter-type guy, and I'm planning on making the villain soon. Very soon. Artificer Lich anyone? Anyways, thank you for the wonderful guide and video, Mr. Mercer!

  • @lawrencerose8699
    @lawrencerose86998 жыл бұрын

    Matt, excellent points and tips man. Keep these coming ^_^

  • @robertbishop5440
    @robertbishop54407 жыл бұрын

    NEED MORE OF THESE! MATT'S THE BEST!!!!

  • @CJXCJJ
    @CJXCJJ8 жыл бұрын

    Super helpful, thanks! :D

  • @paulmorris905
    @paulmorris9058 жыл бұрын

    theses are so helpful!! THANKS MATT!!!

  • @stefaniisthecutest8447
    @stefaniisthecutest84478 жыл бұрын

    Helpful tips by the greatest DM's

  • @zanphuis
    @zanphuis8 жыл бұрын

    Yes~~~ More Please :D As a new DM I kinda sorta REALLY need this

  • @juneshelleydorsey3706
    @juneshelleydorsey37068 жыл бұрын

    These videos are great! More please!

  • @DummyUrD
    @DummyUrD8 жыл бұрын

    solid advice, although more geared towards newer people, which is fine! As you gain experience you make your own choices anyway! What I would like is a little background input, of how you came up with different characters, like K'varn or Allura (nice namesake here lol)

  • @1233bobb
    @1233bobb8 жыл бұрын

    yay more Mercer, your awesome man

  • @Senok13
    @Senok134 жыл бұрын

    Hehh. We had in one of our first adventure a group of sailors, and when we was attacked by pirates, one of them had some incredible rolls - in fact, when it comes to time for he to make an ability check or attack roll, the DM rolled more Natural 20, than the entire party all through the campaign. We landed on an uninhabited island, because our ship become too damaged, to sail with it to a safety harbor, with the goal of take the pirate ship, which was also stranded there for different reasons - they hadn't have enough food, to survive a trip until they reach the continent. There our friend made some other incredible feat, when we scouted the island. He, whom was a nameless sailor in the first, this way later nominated as the first mate of the ship, gained a name and a player class for himself (human fighter, with the sailor background, and the feat "lucky"). Also, become a recurring ally for the party, usually when we needed a ship.

  • @UnluckyMichael
    @UnluckyMichael8 жыл бұрын

    OMG these are so good! Kepp Them coming Matt!!!!

  • @nikkimabanlongeval601
    @nikkimabanlongeval601 Жыл бұрын

    The despair in his voice when he said "They always remember."

  • @Sp4ceDx
    @Sp4ceDx5 жыл бұрын

    Thanks, this helpt so much! :D

  • @xanadu1215
    @xanadu12158 жыл бұрын

    This was good. You have some great points. I've been a DM since 1980 (where you born by then?) and you have the best explanation I have heard. DMs should be inspired. You got me going again. :D I've found that the players really like to 'attach' themselves to NPGs so keeping a history book on relationships, plot points are also important along with a rich personality and motivations. And they should all be named Willem. :)

  • @gregissimo6700
    @gregissimo67004 жыл бұрын

    I have a group of friends and we are fresh out of water noobs in DnD. We want to create an online campaign and I have volunteered to DM, so these videos have become a must in the background for me while I'm working to pick up on some things and ideas. I just want to say a huge TAHKN YOU to Geek & Sundry and Critical Role for making the series that have introduced me to the world of DnD.

  • @johnsullivan1526
    @johnsullivan15262 жыл бұрын

    Wow. I'm new to dnd gonna give a go at dm, we're using the starter set with the mines of phandelver, makes things quite simple for most areas but the town of phandalin still felt very daunting to me, I wanna make not only our first town, but a recurring one at that feel real, especially as the book doesn't give much for npc's. Clearly Matt not only knows what he's doing but how to teach it, in less then two minutes he gave a beautiful description on how to make your npcs and even a bit on preparing them. Btw while everybody excluding myself seems to have seen critical role, I'd recommend viva la dirt leagues newest campaign, it's definitely a no holds barred campaign with a very skilled dm as well as a hilarious group that are very impressive In their own right

  • @timmyjimmy3647
    @timmyjimmy36474 жыл бұрын

    Hans Gruber reference sold the whole damn thing. Love this guy.

  • @Aviedya
    @Aviedya8 жыл бұрын

    I'm not a DnD gm, but this advice is great for my writing. Thank you so much :D

  • @sydneycottrell6742
    @sydneycottrell67425 жыл бұрын

    I've JUST really started playing d&d- its only been about 4 1/2 months, and I'm not ready to dm yet, but my usual dm is going to college soon and we only have one backup, and he dms like 4 campaigns already. I feel like I need to learn and it sounds like a lot of fun- and I love critical role. My main problem would be doing voices.

  • @emileecvz
    @emileecvz3 жыл бұрын

    Matt has some amazing camera presence.

  • @spizzerspunk
    @spizzerspunk8 жыл бұрын

    WARNING: the "Book Of Vile Darkness" is filled with gross and terrible things, some of which you will never forget after reading it (ex: there are rules for necrophilia that are burned into my mind). Matt may be correct that the resources for creating some truly evil villains are there, just be very, very careful about what you want to read when using that material. "Vile" and "Dark" only begin to describe it.

  • @YBTrolling

    @YBTrolling

    8 жыл бұрын

    +spizzerspunk Is it really that bad?

  • @spizzerspunk

    @spizzerspunk

    8 жыл бұрын

    +YBTrolling My initial reaction to the video was somewhat hyperbolic, but I think if you are going to check out the book you should read the table of comments carefully to find what you need (there are detailed rules for torture, for example). I'm not saying it isn't a legit source, and if you are running a dark game than it has some really good stuff, but bottom line it is not for the faint of heart.

  • @orarinnsnorrason4614

    @orarinnsnorrason4614

    7 жыл бұрын

    One thing I'd like to add. Only read this book if you are going to DM because if you are a player and know some of the stuff that's in it, it will potentially ruin the experience of meeting some of these villains. To me it's like going through the monster manual, it's a thing that you just don't do, for the sake of surprise when you encounter these beings and creatures.

  • @kabhes9040

    @kabhes9040

    6 жыл бұрын

    so, a book where you actually have to be careful what you read. sounds like something from a fantasy book.

  • @TheProfessor529

    @TheProfessor529

    6 жыл бұрын

    It's Good counterpart the 'Book of Exalted Deeds' is also a wonderful resource when you need divine-style element for your campaign. And it's not as necessary to regularly apply brain bleach to read it.

  • @joshuap.3048
    @joshuap.30488 жыл бұрын

    Love it keep up the good stuff!!!!!

  • @Da_Condor
    @Da_Condor7 жыл бұрын

    This video series is great, I love the part where he talks about how players play in the "grey" area and hiding bodies. I am running a game as a DM for the first time and my roommate immediately used charm person on a famous war general to find out his information, stuck him in a barrel, and rolled him onto a ship. He made the campaign more difficult to run because that NPC was supposed to help them but I rolled with it. I think this might be what changes his alignment from Lawful good to more of a Chaotic Neutral character and he might come back later as a bad guy with a personal vendetta against them.

  • @flibbernodgets7018
    @flibbernodgets70187 жыл бұрын

    I love making NPC's and I wanna gush about mine, but I already told my players about this series and I don't want to spoil anything :[ Good tips, I will definitely be using some in the future.

  • @MasterGagnon
    @MasterGagnon8 жыл бұрын

    this man is the greatest dungeon master ive ever seen :)

  • @vazak11
    @vazak115 жыл бұрын

    Great advice!

  • @Jake-dx7vn
    @Jake-dx7vn4 жыл бұрын

    Mat: Sometimes the final encounter may not be as epic as you think... ..earlier.. Travis (as Grog): FOR, STRONGJAW!!

  • @keithwinget526
    @keithwinget5268 жыл бұрын

    As usual, well done. I can't wait for this weeks episode of CR! Finding out what kind of villains the Chroma Conclave are will be quite the spectacle, to be sure. On a side note, I sure as hell hope they have the sense to warn their staff at Greyskull to GTFO as fast as they can.... If there's anything left there....Also, will be interesting if they stumble upon Kainen on their way out at some point.

  • @sirhamalot8651
    @sirhamalot86513 жыл бұрын

    Character voice notations: you can also base your voices on existing characters from movies/shows to help remember. This makes keeping track very easy for you: Tavern Owner: Bartoll; voice: Captain Picard. Mysterious Rogue: Venns; Voice: Enigo Monyoya. As long as you don't tell the players who you are mimicking, they will likely never guess, but you will be able to remember their voice instantly!

  • @ryallenquake
    @ryallenquake8 жыл бұрын

    This was actually a god send, given that I'm now having to write a campaign for a Pathfinder campaign that I just got involved in once we finish the one we are going through now. This is gonna be fun!

  • @Mayiamaru
    @Mayiamaru6 ай бұрын

    I have had: - An important NPC bypassed cause she wasn't very memorable. Later she came to hate one of the party members for invading the privacy of her mind. - A major source of info rage stabbed in the back after admitting to 'possibly' being involved in a family member's death while critically injured - Another source of info one shot because he sarcastically thought about offering the trespassing party to his diety - Planning to make a corndog vendor into a secondary antagonist because of my players dunked on his food.

  • @harpymaslow
    @harpymaslow8 жыл бұрын

    Damn. That's some reaaaaally good tips. Thanks Matt

  • @eric_welch
    @eric_welch7 жыл бұрын

    I want to be Matt Mercer's friend!!